Itchy Swollen Eyelids- Causes and Treatment

Experiencing itchy, swollen eyelids, but do not know how to treat them? This story would help you in understanding the causes as well as appropriate treatment methods available for the same.

Eyes are perhaps the most sensitive of all the body parts. They are also one of the most used parts of the body. This makes even a slight discomfort, pain, or swelling in the eye, extremely intolerable for most people.

Swollen eyelids with itchiness, resulting from a number of factors, not only cause problems in the vision, but can also be very troublesome. Below are some reasons as to why people experience itchy and swollen eyes, followed by the treatment options for the same.

This condition is caused due to a bacterial infection in the oil glands, near the eyelashes. Another reason behind this condition is an allergic reaction caused due to the usage of cosmetics containing some unsuitable chemicals. Not washing eye makeup in the night can cause allergic reaction, resulting in this condition too. Besides this, other symptoms of blepharitis are, irritation of the skin as well as formation of scales on the skin near the eyelashes.

Also known as pink eye, conjunctivitis, can swell up the eyelids causing itchiness, irritation, and/or burning sensation, often accompanied by eye twitching. Conjunctivitis occurs on account of a virus or a bacterial infection in the eye.

Itchy swollen eyelids that are experienced after going out in the sun, without protection, could be due to sunburns. Just like the skin on other body parts needs protection from the sun, skin on eyelids too, needs the same. And if, sunscreen is not applied to the eyelids before going out in the sun, it can cause sunburn.

There are certain habits, such as, not keeping the area around the eye clean, rubbing the eyes again and again with dirty hands, leaving eye makeup on for long hours, affect the eyes causing them to itch and swell up. In order to prevent this, one must change these habits, and take proper care of the most delicate organ of the body.

It could be due to a stye. A stye is caused when there is a buildup of bacteria in the oil glands located near the eyelashes. There is a formation of a lump, which can be quite painful, near the edge of the eyelid.

Except for the swollen eyelids caused by conjunctivitis, which can only be treated by a doctor, in most cases, they can be treated at home, by using a few natural remedies. Applying heat to the eyelids, by using a cloth soaked in warm water, can prove to be very effective. This should be done twice a day, till the infection dies down.

However, if the infection becomes severe, and does not go away in a week, consulting a doctor is the best thing to do. Doctors generally prescribe an antibiotic ointment to treat itchy and swollen eyelids caused by blepharitis.

For treating a stye, application of heat with a warm cloth, the same way as mentioned above, should be done. To bring down the swelling, and to drain out the pus from the stye, an effective remedy is to simply pull out the eyelashes on which it is formed, with tweezers. However, one needs to be really careful while doing this task.

To treat swollen eyelids with persistent itching, caused by sunburns, giving the eyes cold treatment by placing a sliced cucumber on both the eyes, or keeping cotton balls soaked in chilled water on them, will prove beneficial.

As can be seen from above, this condition is not something very serious. However, it can be discomforting. So, it is always better to prevent its occurrence, by applying eye makeup properly, removing it before going to bed, and keeping the eyes clean by washing them at least a few times in a day.